Teachers who dedicate their time to training students in music, drama and sports will now have a direct advantage in career progression, following a major policy shift by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
Speaking during the Ministry of Education Gala at the 98th Kenya Music Festival in Kibabii University, TSC Chairperson Dr. Jamleck Muturi announced that the Commission is formally integrating co-curricular achievements into its promotion metrics, offering a massive incentive for educators to nurture talent beyond the classroom.
“We are considering in the career progression guidelines of our teachers that activities ranging from ball games and science congresses to creative arts and music will be part of the consideration when we are promoting you,” he said.
He added, “I can assure the teachers who are here today that once I get the proper information from the Ministry and the festival Chairman, we will consider you in the upcoming promotions funded by the government,”
Further, Dr. Muturi noted that the government has recently released funds to promote over 34,000 teachers, building on the 270,000 promoted over the last three years.
However, he raised an alarm over a severe staffing crisis in the arts sector, urging universities to urgently adjust their training programmes.
“We have a very serious shortfall in music, creative arts, home science, woodwork and metalwork,” he noted.
Dr. Muturi called upon Universities and teacher training institutions to open more doors for these disciplines as students report this semester.
The push to incentivize arts educators is part of a broader government strategy to position the creative economy as a primary driver of national wealth.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by Higher Education Principal Secretary Dr. Beatrice Inyangala, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba declared that the arts are no longer viewed as mere extracurricular hobbies, but as highly lucrative professional industries aligned with the Competency- Based Curriculum (CBC).
According to UNESCO, the cultural and creative industries generate more than $2.25 trillion annually, contributing approximately three percent of global GDP and providing employment to nearly 50 million people worldwide.
“Validating the festivals main theme: Enhancing the Creative Economy through Knowledge, Skills, and Artistic Production for Sustainable Development,” said CS Ogamba.
In Kenya, music, film, fashion, theatre and digital content creation are creating entirely new opportunities for our youth. Music is therefore no longer simply an extracurricular activity; it is an economic opportunity, a profession and an industry.
The sheer scale of this emerging industry was laid bare by Kenya Music Festival Chairman Prof. Fred Ngala, who revealed that the 2026 national edition attracted a staggering 143,000 student participants and awarded over 700 trophies.
